Daily Times

Dengue infection fever has gradually become a public health crisis in Pakistan. It is usually pervasive during the monsoon season and from the months of September to December. This disease begins when a female mosquito known as Aedes aegypti bites an infected person and then this virus is transmitted to a non-infected person. This infection is spread over a period of 10 days.  Fever along with constant body aches and headaches are common in this infection.

Several methods and strategies can be employed to fight against this disease and to bring it to a bare minimum. Such strategies fall into areas of chemical, biological and physical methods. The physical methods comprise geographic information system (GIS), which aids in locating and finding out the locations where dengue larva is breeding. A proper surveillance method is formulated in order to figure out the extent and distribution of the dengue larva. This method with increasing use of the latest technology is useful in fighting against the dengue virus. Using this strategy, the location of the dengue larva is examined and then the genetically modified mosquitoes are mixed into the vector population, which harms the sexual reproduction of female mosquitoes. Hence, there is reported to be a decrease in the population of the mosquitoes, and lesser dengue transmission.

The effective implementation of the chemical strategies also helps to control an outbreak of dengue. This focuses on employing some traditional practices like spraying insecticides on dengue concentrated areas and ensuring timely fumigation. Such chemical sprays mitigate the growth of dengue larva and slowly helps to reduce the transmission of dengue.

Employing several vaccines and immunotherapy is another solution as part of the chemical strategy. Proper information is required to be disseminated about the utilization of this vaccine to counter the virus of dengue by medical experts and consultants. The lady health workers inspect and survey different household units to transmit information about the disease of dengue, its harmful effects and ways to prevent it at different levels. The household units should be well examined to prevent the concentration of water in pots and in other several regions of the house. Awareness should be disseminated that concentration of water in different parts of the house can lead to an outbreak of dengue larva, and it should be avoided as much possible.

In addition, several community-based programs can be instituted to control the dengue virus. Different seminars could be held in every town and municipality of every region of Pakistan where this virus is pervasive. Such seminars should focus on know-how about the dengue virus, how is it spread, preventive measures to control it and other important aspects of this virus. Concrete efforts should be made on a large scale at par with foreign Asian nations like Singapore where this virus is commonly treated. Singapore has usually employed a community alert system whereby the larva of dengue mosquito is quickly detected using the latest medical measures, and then it is treated.

The afore-mentioned measures if implemented effectively can help to control and treat the dengue virus in our country.